P. Kumaresan (name changed) does not sport the beard he had a month ago. He is clean-shaven, and clad in neatly pressed formal wear, and is all set to board the 23C bus service to his workplace near Teynampet. The journey signifies a new beginning for him — from the ward of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to a government department as an office assistant.
Mr. Kumaresan has already grown to love his job despite being there for just a month. “This change in atmosphere is refreshing and motivating. In fact, my attitude has changed too. I am very happy and confident,” he remarked.
It was in last November that he arrived at IMH, Ayanavaram, for treatment; these months were nothing short of life changing, he said.
After showing significant improvement after treatment, he along with another patient, L. Shankar (name changed) have started working as office assistants in government departments.
They travel in buses independently and work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In fact, Mr. Kumaresan even attends typewriting classes after work.
This is a first step towards re-integrating patients into the society, said P. Poorna Chandrika, director of IMH. “More employers should come forward to recruit them,” she added. “I came here with chronic illness and have recovered well. I am very happy as my work is good. My job is to move files from one place to another,” said Mr. Shankar.
But Mr. Kumaresan does not want to stop with this. “I am preparing for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission exam. I hold a diploma in mechanical engineering, and want to do better,” he said.“The institute bought me a basic model cell phone. I am looking forward to the first month’s salary and plan to buy a smartphone on instalment. It will help me prepare for the exams,” he added.
Jobs for patients
IMH has been taking measures to fetch jobs for patients who have improved after treatment. In a step towards this, a job fair was organised on Monday through the Model Career Centre, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“A total of 47 patients took part. Of this, 30 were registered for jobs as they had voter identity cards. We will make arrangements to get identity proof for the other patients,” D. Sumathi, social welfare officer, IMH, said.
Jobs such as office assistants, helpers and electricians were preferred as many of them had studied up to class IX, she said.
S. Premanand, HR professional, Ministry of Labour and Employment (National Career Service), said the aim was to link patients with jobs and career opportunities through counselling and training.